How to Get LLC and EIN for FREE | Best Way to File in 2026

追加: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]So, if you're looking to form an LLC and get your EIN without paying a bunch of service fees, I'm going to walk you through exactly how to do that cuz it's totally possible. And honestly, it's not as complicated as people make it out to be. Now, I've done this a couple times.

[00:00:14]Once completely on my own, and then later I ended up using ZenBusiness. And I'm going to share both experiences with you cuz depending on where you're at and what you need, one might make more sense for you than the other. But either way, by the end of the video, you'll know exactly what steps you need >> [music] >> what out for, and how to avoid some of the mistakes I made along the way. All right, so real quick, if you're not totally sure what an LLC even is, it stands for limited liability company.

[00:00:41]And the whole point of it is to separate your business from you personally. Like if your business gets sued or racks up a bunch of debt or something goes wrong, nobody can come after your house, your car, your personal bank account, any of that. Your personal assets are completely protected. It's also way more flexible than a corporation when it comes to taxes. You can choose how you want to be taxed as a sole proprietor, a partnership, even an S corp if that makes sense for you. So, you get the legal protection of a corporation without all the rigid structure and paperwork that comes with it. Now, an EIN is your employer identification number. It's basically like a social security number the IRS gives your business. You'll need it to open a business bank account, file taxes, hire employees, all that stuff. And the good news is it's completely free to get directly from the IRS. So, all that together, these days most small businesses, freelancers, and even people running side hustles end up going with an LLC and getting an EIN because you get the protection and the flexibility.

[00:01:38]It's actually the you need to actually operate as a functional business. And it's not a nightmare to set up. All right, so let's see how we can get both totally for free. Well, not exactly, but we'll get into that in a second. So, the first thing you'll need to do is pick a name. It's got to be unique in your state, so no one else can already have it. And you need to include either LLC or limited liability company somewhere in there. You can check if a name's available for free on your state's website. You search your name of your state plus business entity search and you'll find it. Or honestly, just Google a name. And while you're at it, I'd also check if the domain is available. Cuz if you pick a business name, but the website's already taken, you'll probably end up filing a DBA later. It's just extra paperwork and it's annoying. Next up, you'll need a registered agent. So, this is the person or company who will receive legal documents and official email for your business during business hours. Now, you can absolutely be your own registered agent. I was for my first LLC. You just put your own name and address on the form when you file. The only thing to keep in mind is that the address becomes public record, so anyone can look it up. I got way more junk mail at my old house once I went live. So, just be aware of that. And if you move or you're not around during the day, you'll need to make sure someone's there to receive any legal stuff, cuz missing that can cause problems down the line.

[00:02:57]Next up, you got to actually form the business. And for that, you'll need the article of organization. Technically, every state calls it something slightly different, but it's basically the same thing. And you can fill it out online through your state's website. They'll ask for your business name, your registered agent's info, what address the business is located at, and whether the LLC is member manager or manager managed. As weird as complex as it sounds, member manager just means you, the owner, run the business yourself.

[00:03:25]Manager means you appoint someone else to handle the day-to-day operations.

[00:03:29]Basically, if you're running solo here or you've got like a partner or two, you'll almost always go with member manager. Manager managed is more if you've got investors who own the LLC, but aren't involved in running it. Or if you're setting up something more hardcore. Now, here's where the stipulation about free I mentioned earlier comes in. Because even if you're doing everything yourself by hand, there's still filing fees. How much will vary by state. Georgia, where I've gone through all this, is $105. But something like California is closer to 70. Some states are higher, some are lower, but the fee's mandatory no matter what, even if you use a service. It'll usually get processed in 2 to 3 weeks. Once your LLC is approved by the state, then you can apply for your EIN. And that's all done through the IRS website. Now, their system is a little, let's say, old school. You got to complete it all in one session. There's no save button. If you're inactive 15 minutes, it'll time you out and you'll have to restart. So, just set aside 20 minutes, have all your information ready, and knock it out in one go. It's available most hours during weekdays, but it's not 24/7. Once you hit submit, you'll get your EIN immediately. Just make sure you wait to see until the state's actually approved your LLC before applying. I made a mistake of doing it too early once. I had to get it corrected. It was the whole annoying process, and yeah, it sucked. You'll also want an operating agreement. Now, most states don't legally require it, but it's basically the rule book for your LLC. Says who owns what percentage, how decisions get made, what happens if someone wants to leave. If you're the only person, it might seem pointless, but it actually helps protect you legally. Without one, if you ever end up in court, a judge could just decide what your LLC isn't really a separate entity from your personal. So, yeah, it's worth having.

[00:05:14]You can find templates online for free, or you can pay someone to draft one up for you. Last thing we're going to talk about is compliance. Now, every state has different requirements. Some with an annual report, some biennial. The report is usually super simple, just basically confirming your business info is still current, but you got to file it on time.

[00:05:32]Miss the deadline, and you'll get hit with late fees, anywhere from 50 up to a few hundred, depending on the state. And if you ignore it for too long, the state can actually dissolve your LLC, which means you'll lose your legal protection.

[00:05:45]Some states will send you a reminder email, some won't. So, you just got to be on top of it and put it on your calendar. Also, some states have annual fees on top of that report, like California got an $800 franchise tax every year. Delaware charged $300 annually. And that's all whether you made a million bucks or operating in the red. Other states like Ohio and Texas don't have recurring fees at all. So, it really just depends where you're from.

[00:06:08]But yeah, that's the whole process. It's definitely doable on your own if you're comfortable handling the paperwork and keeping track of the deadlines. I did it all for my first business, but I did end up switching to ZenBusiness for my second one. And you might rightly be wondering, why would I pay someone to do something I can do totally for free? So, ZenBusiness is what's called a business formation service. And they're basically a company that handles all the paperwork and filing for you. Instead of you going to your state's website, filling out forms, tracking deadlines, making sure everything's [music] submitted correctly, they do all of that. You give them your business info and they file everything with the state. And the obvious benefit is that they know the process. They've done it thousands and thousands of times. So, you're not going to mess up a form or apply for your EIN too early or forget about an annual report. They handle it all for you. And for a lot of people, especially if you're already busy trying to, let's say, you know, actually run your business, the peace of mind is absolutely worth it. Some services charge a couple hundred bucks on top of the state fees. Others like ZenBusiness have a free tier and it costs the same as doing it yourself. It's just a lot less effort. So, it really just depends on what you need and how much time you want to spend on paperwork. Like with ZenBusiness, you just go into their website and answer a few questions about your business, what state you're forming in, what you want to name your LLC, who the owners are, basic stuff like that.

[00:07:23]They'll walk you through the whole thing step-by-step, so you're not just staring at a blank form wondering what to put.

[00:07:29]It takes maybe 10, 15 minutes. Once you submit everything, they handle the filing with your state. They file out the article of organization, they submit it, and they track out the approval. You get access to the dashboard where you can see the status of everything and download your documents once they're ready. So, you're not sitting around wondering if something went through or something got rejected. And then once your LLC is approved, if you're on one of the paid plans, they've actually handled your EIN application with the IRS as well. And they've got this feature called worry-free compliance that's included free for the first year.

[00:08:00]And it sends you automated email alerts when your annual report is due. Sounds simple, I know, but it's the exact same thing that would have saved me from the $50 late fee I mentioned earlier cuz I just forgot. I had it on my calendar, got busy, missed it, but with ZenBusiness, they remind you ahead of time. Now, I got to say, their customer support isn't the fastest I've ever dealt with. And if you need an answer right the second, you might be waiting for a bit. But when you get a response, they actually know what they're talking about. It's kind of refreshing, honestly. Now, their starter plan is literally $0. So, you're paying the exact same amount you'd be paying if you were just doing it yourself. It's just the state fees. If you're just starting out and you want to save money, but also not deal with filing yourself, it's definitely a solid option. They do also have a couple paid plans. The pro plan is $199 a year, and that's where they include your EIN application and the operating agreement. So, if you don't want to mess with the IRS website yourself or you want a professionally done operating agreement instead of trying to find templates online, that's worth considering. And they speed up the process so your paperwork gets submitted within one business day instead of the standard 7 to 10 days. The top option is a premium plan at $399 and this is the one I personally went with. The biggest thing for me was the registered agent service. Instead of using my home address and having it show up on public record, they use their address. I'm getting way less junk mail and no randos know where I live. There's also some nice features here for actually running the business like a domain name and an AI website builder and a business email.

[00:09:31]After doing the whole process myself once and dealing with everything that came with that, it just made sense to let someone else handle it the second time around. The starter plan costs the same as doing a DIY, and the pro and premium plans are a couple hundred bucks a year, which is nothing compared to the time and stress it saves. But, that's all for today's video. If you found it helpful, go ahead and hit the thumbs up button, and subscribe if you want to see more videos like this. I've also got a link in the description for ZenBusiness.

[00:09:57]It is an affiliate link, so we might get a small commission if you use it, but it won't cost you anything extra. In fact, it almost will certainly have some discounts or deals you wouldn't be able to get directly through their website.

[00:10:08]Also, if you're a brand and you want to work with us or sponsor a future video, you can reach out using the email in the description below. Now, as always, I love hearing your thoughts. So, if you have any questions, feel free to drop them down in the comments below, and I'll get back to them as soon as possible. Thank you so much for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.